Mountain Bluebird male

Yesterday, 20 May 2017, was a beautiful day, though the light was not always the greatest for photos. I was lucky enough to be invited to join four friends for a day out - lol, eventually, I will get time to get back to editing and posting more photos from Trinidad : ) Really, who needs Trinidad birds, though, when you can see such beautiful birds here in Alberta?!

Part of the morning was spent at our friend, Barb's, acreage, SW of Calgary, enjoying the variety of birds that visit her garden. Thanks so much, Barb, as always, for letting us visit you. Such a joy to see birds like a handsome male Rose-breasted Grosbeak and the Evening Grosbeaks. I so rarely get to see either of these birds. Always happy to see a Mountain Bluebird, too.

In Bluebirds, the blue colour is produced by the structure of the feather - there is no blue pigment. "Tiny air pockets in the barbs of feathers can scatter incoming light, resulting in a specific, non-iridescent color. Blue colors in feathers are almost always produced in this manner. Examples include the blue feathers of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Blue Jay's and Steller's Jays."

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mountain_Bluebird/id

www.jstor.org/discover/pgs/index?id=10.2307/4077277&i...

We then drove the various roads SW of the city, as far south as Turner Valley, hoping to see a few birds. Beautiful scenery in the whole area. In Turner Valley, we called in to see another mutual friend and watch the birds that visited her tiny, but beautifully and thoughtfully designed, back deck. Thanks so much for having us, Jackie, especially at such very short notice!